How about a journey through time at Yarnton Manor? It is a place where history whispers from every stone. This Oxfordshire village landmark has inspired visitors for centuries.
Yarnton’s story stretches back over 5,500 years. The manor stands on an ancient site from Neolithic prehistory. Sir Thomas Spencer built the 17th-century stately home in 1611. That same year, James I made him a baronet.
During the English Civil War, Yarnton Manor became a Royalist military hospital. Around 40 soldiers were buried in the nearby churchyard between 1643 and 1645. The Royalist Spencer family faced financial difficulties. Soon after the Restoration in 1660, the north and south wings of the manor house were torn down. The west wing remained and became a farmhouse.
In 1718, people described Yarnton Manor as being in a “ruinated condition”. Sir Robert Dashwood bought it 23 years earlier. He owned nearby Kirtlington Park. Dashwood’s successor, Sir James, took stone from Yarnton Manor. This further deteriorated its state.
In 1897, Yarnton Manor was described as having been “shorn of all its glory”. Henry Robert Franklin bought the manor and restored it. He hired Oxford architect Thomas Garner, a Gothic revival expert. Garner had previously worked on Oxford landmarks like Magdalen College’s High Street entrance.
Garner salvaged rare 17th-century features during the restoration. These included marbled and grained wood around the main staircase. The gardens were also restored and a carriage drive was created.
Yarnton Manor changed hands several times in the 20th century. George Kolkhorst, an Oxford academic, bought it in 1936. Kolkhorst was a friend of Poet Laureate John Betjeman. Betjeman visited the manor several times. In 1945, Betjeman described it as “more fantastic than ever”. Novelist Iris Murdoch also visited in 1939. She called the manor “beautiful”. Murdoch praised its “miraculous gardens”.
Today, Yarnton Manor stands as a testament to its rich history. Its walls have seen conflict and restoration. They have inspired artists and welcomed visitors. As you wander through its halls and gardens, imagine the stories unfolding around you. Yarnton Manor is more than just a building. It is a living chronicle of time.